When she loved me
by nalanna
Summary: Kyo has been confined for twelve years. Songfic with the same title. Happy ending. I don't do angst so well. Please read and review
1. Chapter 1

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OK! So a new fic! I was inspired by the song "When she loved me" from Toy Story two.

Kyoru, as always Oo

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When she loved me.

_When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful_

The orange haired teen dragged himself out of bed and down the hallway to the bathroom. His tongue felt heavy and was coated with some nasty furry substance. _Probably from the night before_ he thought, fighting his way through the fog that waved in front of his eyes.

As the cold water sprayed onto his muscled torso, his brain began to wake up a little, and he started to remember clearly what had happened last night.

He had been training diligently as was his wont, when Akito had paid him a visit. This was a rare enough occurrence in itself, and was enough to put him into shock as what she had come to tell him. Tohru had been hospitalised for exhaustion.

"She's been working too hard, Kyo," Akito had murmured into his ear, malice spiking every syllable. "Working hard for everyone in that house. It seems she's forgotten about her little monster…"

After she had left, Kyo hit his liquor cabinet. He still had no idea why he had a liquor cabinet. It probably had something to do with the previous cat- he had died in here after all. Kyo shuddered at the thought.

_Every hour spent together, lives within my heart_

He still thought about her; the way her eyes lit up every time she saw him, the way she spoke his name, as if it tasted like pure happiness. Her slim frame silhouetted against the window in the kitchen as she prepared another delicious meal. Her soft, homely fragrance that followed her about the house like a shadow, but lingered in his heart like a wound…

…The way she clung to him when the Sohma officials had come to collect him. He could still feel her grip on his arm, weak and desperate.

_And when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears_

He had tried to soothe her as best as he could. He wiped away the tears that streamed down her face, but they were replaced with new ones immediately after. He stroked her hair and murmured kind words, whilst trying to keep his heart from breaking. The other Sohma's turned their faces away respectfully. They knew that she alone was the only person he wanted to say goodbye to.

_And when she was happy, so was I_

How many times had he walked into the house, his mood as black as thunder, only to be greeted with her sweet smile, her "welcome home Kyo-kun, how was your day?", and for his mood to lighten a thousand shades, spiralling upwards to the dizzy heights of happiness? With a single smile from her he could feel human again, and when she laughed, nothing could make him miserable.

_When she loved me_

That was then. Now he was alone and confined, separated from her by a few impenetrable walls, that- if he put his mind to it- he could probably punch through.

Did she think of him?

_Through the summer and he fall, we had each other, that was all._

He couldn't remember the exact moment he fell in love with her. Maybe it was when she ran after him that night his true form was revealed. Or maybe it was even before that, when he was a child; sneaking into her garden to watch her eat her solitary meals; worrying about whether she was happy or not; wanting to be close to her.

_Just she and I together, like it was meant to be_

When she had reappeared in his life again, after the tragedy of her mother's death, Kyo cursed fate. How could it play such cruel tricks on people, and yet still be blameless and acceptable? He could only wonder. However, she had mended him over time; slowly but surely she closed the gaping raw holes of his past.

_And when she was lonely, I was there to comfort her_

How many of the other Sohma's knew about her fears of being left behind? She had told him, and him _only_ that she thought of her father as a villain. He had left her behind and tempted her mother to do the same. Her granddad had told him as much, but he had also heard it from her own mouth.

She was so distressed and in pain; he was not one for words, so he did the only thing he could. He hugged her; he held onto her as hard as possible, grasping at her small body from the other side of the sheet, absorbing her warmth, and giving her his own. And she pressed her head into his chest and cried, needing him as much as he needed her.

_And I knew that she loved me_

Stepping out of the shower, he sighed. How many years had it been since he had said his last goodbye? He glanced into the steamed up mirror that hung opposite him; if he could have seen into it, a chiselled jaw and hardened eyes would have stared right back at him. Was that his face? So hard and angry and…

…lonely?

_So the years went by, I stayed the same. But she began to drift away._

Was she lonely too? Did she miss him as much as he missed her? At night, did she retreat to the rooftop of his former home and cry in his spot?

_I was left alone_

Stomping into his living room, he began his morning training routine of stretches and breathing exercises. Soon after, his maidservant knocked on his door and poked her head nervously around the frame to announce that she had his breakfast.

She was young, barely half his age. He winced at the thought. Twelve years spent in confinement and he was criticising teenagers, when he himself still felt like one. Repressing his bitter feelings of a stolen youth, he thanked the girl for the food, and ripped into a bowl of rice.

_Still I waited for the day when she'd say "I will always love you"_

He had long buried the hope that she would come and visit him. Even if she wanted to, he was pretty sure that Akito would never allow it. And why would she still want to after so long a time had elapsed? If she had any sense she would be married with kids, living in her own house and living her own life. But as much as he thought that that was what she _should_ be doing, he didn't want it to be that way. He selfishly wanted her to stay alone, thinking about him and only him, never wavering from his side… even if it was just in a figurative sense.

_Lonely and forgotten, never thought she'd look my way_

Having done with his breakfast, Kyo wandered to his porch, where the sun shone brighter. Plus, he got a view of the Sohma grounds which had to be better than his own four walled prison.

He stretched luxuriously and flopped down onto his mat, all the while contemplating what he would do that day. After all, there was only so much training he could bring himself to do, and Shishou had always said: "everything in moderation".

His eyes scanned the all too familiar landscape; the treetops swayed in the usual light breeze that always seemed to blow here; the hedges lined the usual deserted pathway, the gravel lay un- trodden. He turned his head to see around the corner of the house but snapped back to its original position as a flash of movement captured his attention.

It was miniscule, and any other person would have missed it, but to Kyo, it was proof of life. His eyes remained fixed on the hedge next to the path, hoping and praying with all his might that it was someone he could exchange greetings with at least. God knows he had lost his limited supply of social skills.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly slow, a face appeared from around the greenery. A face, framed with mid length chestnut hair…

His breath caught in his throat. Surely not, after all this time…? Was there something in his breakfast that had caused him to hallucinate? It hadn't tasted any different…

The girl- now woman- stepped forwards nervously, revealing her figure in its entirety. She had blossomed since he had last seen her. But of course she would have. It had been twelve long years…

The numbing sensation in his brain made him realise that he hadn't exhaled yet. He did so, then stood up so quickly that he could have been mistaken for a jack-in-a-box. She stopped short, as if his sudden movement had frightened her off. Perhaps it had…

_She smiled at me, and held me, just like she used to do._

"K-Kyo-kun…?" Her voice was deeper now, but still retained that imperceptible sweetness, that timeless quality of kindness and love.

Kyo felt weak and light headed. This wasn't happening… he was the cat, and his dreams never came true.

Slowly, she gave him a tentative smile, as if it would break her face if she wasn't too careful. He held onto the fence of his porch- if he didn't then he was convinced he would lose any will to stand.

Suddenly they were clinging onto each other like their lives depended on it. He was engulfed by everything that was her; her smell, her sound, her body, her being. He buried his head in her hair and smelled that homely smell that had haunted him in his waking nightmare.

A trickle dropped off of the end of his nose. When had he started crying?

She herself was trembling like a leaf. She clung to him as desperately as she had clung to him when they were saying goodbye- only the passing of time had proved her to be more passionate than anyone could have imagined.

_Like she loved me, when she loved me…_

"I love you Kyo-kun", she sobbed into his shirt. Her knees gave way and she fell to the soft springy grass, dragging him with her. He went willingly, not wanting to part from her ever again. If this was a dream, then he wanted it to last as long as possible.

She looked into his eyes, her face shiny with tears. "A-a-all this time, and you haven't changed…" she whispered, a watery grin playing across her face.

He made a noise halfway between a chuckle and a sob. " I can't say the same for you… your hair…" He pulled gently on a silky strand, only half the length of what it used to be.

"It started to get in the way…" she admitted, pulling at his hand and holding it in her own.

_When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful, every hour spent together lives within in my heart_

"I don't understand what's happening…" he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. "Why… how…?"

"The curse is broken." She replied quietly. "There is nothing holding you here anymore…"

_When she loved me…_

end

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I hope that you liked it, and please leave me a review with ideas for improvements :D

Thankyou very much, and stay safe :D

Nalanna xx


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **So I was asked to continue this. Oo This is in Tohru's POV, and the song is "Other side of the world" by KT Tunstall. I hope you like it :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own. The song rights ain't mine, nor is Fruitsbasket. I can only own the mangas and the CD. :(**

Other side of the world

How long had it been? Tohru stared bleakly around his empty room, and tried to stretch her memory back to the time when it had been full of _him._

_Over the sea and far away_

Whenever a pet had died, her mother would start the story of their life after death with those very words. She believed very firmly in life after death. It was the only thing that helped ease the pain of her loss.

_She's waiting like an iceberg wanting to change, but she's cold inside. She wants to be like the water_

Sighing, she went into the kitchen and started the dinner. She pulled out enough food from the fridge for two servings and started preparing them. Only she and Yuki remained in the house now. Shigure had a lady friend, and had moved in with her. Tohru was happy for him.

Yuki had started a relationship with Kuragai Machi not long after… _his_ confinement. They were still going strong, even after twel- all this time. She had a nagging suspicion that he was only living with her out of misguided loyalty, and as much as she wanted him to marry Machi-san and move in with her, she didn't want to be on her own.

She was too scared.

_All the muscles tighten in her face_

She felt the all too familiar twinge behind her eyes. Crying had become second nature to her, just as at one time, laughter had been. It was a sad, but inevitable fact of his absence.

_Theirs is a soul and one embrace. They're one and the same, just like water_

She missed him. There was no point embellishing it, or faking it up with fancy words. Her loss was too raw for the English language to describe. And even if there were the words, surely they would fade into nothing compared to the sorrow written across her heart?

_And the fire fades away, and most of every day is full of tired excuses_

Of course, she put on a front. She was Tohru Honda, the flower of the Sohma's. If ever she was asked how she was, she'd smile and say that she was fine, and of course she was coping. It was only the likes of Yuki and Rin that really knew the true extent of her pretence.

_And it's too hard to say "I wish it were simple," but we give up easily. _

The front door closed and she knew that Yuki had come home. It was time to smile and pretend.

If only it was as easy as that.

_You're close enough to see that you're on the other side of the world to me_

"I'm home," came his silken greeting. Tohru smiled upon hearing it, but despaired that the voice wasn't rougher. Yuki was wonderful to her, but he wasn't what she wanted. She felt ashamed of herself for being so conceited.

"Welcome home Yuki-kun. Did you have a nice day?"

The rat pulled off his tie and made to sit down.

_On comes the panic light, holding on with fingers and feelings alike_

"Y-Yuki-kun…?

He had frozen halfway to his chair, a look of abject shock spread across his face. Slowly but surely, tears started leaking from the corners of his eyes, like drops of snow melting into pools of sorrow.

"Yuki kun! What's wrong? Please tell me!" Tohu ran up to the boy…man… and started flapping around him. If Yuki hadn't have been so preoccupied, he would have smiled and celebrated this display of her previous character.

"Please, Yuki-kun, please let me help you…" Tears had started rolling down her own face. He couldn't have that, now could he?

_But the time has come_

"Honda-san," even after twelve years, he still couldn't call her by her name. It felt unnatural to him, and she had long come to accept his oddities.

"I believe there is something I want to try out." He whispered. Her face looked innocent and confused, and his heart lurched. After all of this time…

Suddenly, she was pulled into a tight embrace. Bracing herself for the poof of smoke that always followed, she looked up to see- not the other side of the kitchen- but Yuki's tearful face, torn between rapture and despair.

"It's gone," He murmured into her ear.

_To move on…_

She couldn't remember what had happened afterwards. The only indication that anything had happened at all was the fact that she was standing on Sohma property. Albeit, a day later than she had planned, but the other Sohma's had insisted on celebrating with her, and how could she refuse them?

There was his house-no- his prison. Would he smile? Would he be the same?

Would he remember who she was?

All too soon he was there. His wildfire hair had not dampened in ferocity, his eyes invisible to her at this distance.

She needed to see those eyes.

He had spotted her by now. There was no point in backtracking anymore- the only way was forwards, and onwards, in the direction of his arms.

Slowly, as if she were in a trance, she began to step from her hiding place. It was there; that feeling of groundbreaking discovery. Each step took her closer and closer to it, and each step told she was close.

So close to happiness.

_And the fire fades away, and most of every day, is full of tired excuses, but it's too hard to say, "I wish it were simple"…_

He moved so quickly. He was standing, and she noticed with a blush, that his physique had hardened. He was no longer the awkward teenage boy.

"K-Kyo-kun…?" Her mouth struggled over the unfamiliar syllables. She hadn't said his name since she called goodbye to him twelve years ago.

The sound tasted good, and she smiled as their connotation flooded her with warmth.

_But we give up easily…_

In reality, it happened all so suddenly, but to Tohru's vantage point, she saw it all in slow motion. His leap from the porch, her panic about him hurting himself; his long strides that broke into a swift, strong run, her lurching heart; his arms wrapped around her so tight, her head buried in his chest.

Before she knew it, she was crying. But it wasn't soft, meek crying; it was the kind of crying that could have been mistaken for a damn being released from a river, with same amount of force.

"I love you Kyo-kun.." How long had she waited to say those words? As the bleak stretch of time unfolded itself before her in all it's menacing glory, her knees gave way, and they both crumpled to the ground.

She looked into his face, and finally, _finally_ got to see his eyes. They hadn't changed, and she told him so.

_Your close enough to see that_

He pulled gently at a strand of her hair, "I can't say the same for you… your hair…"

"It started getting in the way," she replied, holding his hand in hers. His skin was rough from martial arts practise.

"I don't understand what's happening," he whispered. "Why? How?"

"The curse is broken," she replied. His face was a mirror of hers, contemplating the consequences of her words. "There is nothing holding you here anymore."

_You're on the other side of the world to me_

_(end)_

**End note: **Thankyou for reading! Please review, as I'm not so sure about this one compared to the first one. Oo

nalanna x


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